Macroplea pubipennis

Macroplea pubipennis is a rare of aquatic beetles from the family of leaf beetles ( Chrysomelidae ).

The dull yellow beetle measures approximately six to seven millimeters long and has antennae. From Macroplea mutica, with whom he shares its habitat, it differs only by the shape of the top wing tips and the male genitalia. Like all Macropleae he lives as Imago under water, usually in a water depth of 25 to 50 centimeters in schilfbestandenem brackish water, and feeds on water plants such as pondweed ( Potamogeton ) and water milfoil ( Myriophyllum ).

Macroplea pubipennis has so far been detected only on the Baltic coast of Finland, where two populations are known, one in the Bay Espoonlahti in front of the city of Espoo and one in the archipelago before Paimio, individual discoveries were made along the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia up to Oulu in the north. Further findings are reported from the western Chinese Turkestan, where it is unclear whether these individuals of the species M. piligera are not rather assign. In Finland, the species is considered threatened and is protected.